Santa Monica’s got talent. And for a quarter-century, the city has given its young performers a mic, a stage — and the opportunity to be mentored by working professionals.
Downbeat 720, the city-backed youth performing arts collective, returns Sept. 8 to the historic Miles Memorial Playhouse for its 25th anniversary season.
Think America’s Got Talent –– but without the competition, celebrity judges or public takedowns.
Instead, the free, twice-monthly gathering is more of a creative workshop and talent incubator, where middle and high school students can test-drive a new song, poem, joke, dance routine or rap verse in front of peers and working artists.
“Our goal is always to create a safe, supportive space where kids can do whatever they want,” co-founder Joe Hernandez-Kolski tells The Sun.
Most acts get about five minutes of stage time, although that can change depending on the number of participants.
“On a good day, our signup list is full with 12 to 18 performers,” Hernandez-Kolski says.
And while performers do receive feedback, nobody is being judged against the next kid in line.
There are no winners, losers, elimination rounds or judges’ scorecards. The point is not to prove who is the best performer in the room. It is to give young artists the confidence — and the practical notes — to get better.
“So much of high school performance is achievement-based. You audition, play one polished piece, and a coach guides you through it,” says Juliet Simon, a Samohi junior and student intern with the program. “Downbeat is a place for people to just be themselves and create what they want, whether it’s a rough draft or polished.”
The program was launched in the fall of 2001 after Justin Yoffe took over as supervisor of the Miles Memorial Playhouse at Reed Park.
He noticed a plaque on the building reading, “Dedicated to the youth of the community,” and reached out to Hernandez-Kolski and STOMP performer Ameenah Kaplan. Together with DJ Jedi, they built a home for teenage expression.
The event’s name comes from a musician’s rule of the road: Doors open and DJ Jedi starts spinning at 7 p.m., but the live drum beat — or “downbeat” — hits at precisely 7:20 p.m.
Hosted by Hernandez-Kolski, whose credits include Gilmore Girls and HBO’s Def Poetry, and beatboxer Joshua Silverstein, featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden, the evenings offer something standard open mics rarely do: real-time mentorship from working artists.
“As stand-up comics say, the only way you bomb is if you stay at home,” Hernandez-Kolski says. “We affirm them just for getting on the mic. We’ll give you real constructive criticism or homework, but only to push you further. And we never critique someone negatively in front of the audience.”
That is the key difference between a talent show and Downbeat 720: A shaky first song, a joke that dies or an unfinished poem is not a failure. It is material to work on.
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The incubator model has paid dividends for local talent over the years. Alumni include singer-songwriter Jules Paymer and actor-singer Owen Thiele, who appears in Hulu’s Adults.
Season 25 also marks the return of the program’s Guest Artist series, featuring extended sets from rising local acts.
Opening night will include a special performance by Samohi senior Bella Gulko, who will share her original dark-pop track, “First Choice.”
“It’s dark, edgy, and has a vibe where you immediately know no one else could perform it,” Simon says. “That’s what I love — seeing people embrace their individuality.”
Downbeat 720 runs on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Adults are politely discouraged, but may accompany younger performers. No advance reservation or RSVP is necessary.
Just bring a song, a poem, a dance move or a joke.
And leave the fear of bombing at the door.
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